Laundry-basket.



N0. 630,|83. Patented Aug. l, I899. M. B. CONNELL.

LAUNDRY BASKET.

(Application filed Jan. 12, 1899.)

\NO Model.)

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Nrrn STAT PATENT OFFICE.

MARY B. CONNELL, OF ROSELLE, NE\V JERSEY.

LAUNDRY-BASKET.

srnorrlcn'rrolv forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,183, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed January 12, 1899. Serial No. 701,913. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARY B. CONNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ro- 'selle, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Laundry-Baskets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide a more convenient and durable laundrybasket for household use and one better adapted to receive and protect the clean clothes as they are gathered from. the clothesline or afterthey are ironed; to provide alaundry-basket which shall protect the clothes from dust at the top and from too close contiguity to the ground at the bottom; to provide means for conveniently holding clothes pins in said basket separate from the clothes, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved laundry-basket and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafterset forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved laundry-basket. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the sliding cover partly removed; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 00, Fig. 2.

In said drawings, aindicates the body portion of the basket or receptacle, said body being preferably rectangular in horizontal plane and having its four walls 17 b and c c inclined outward at the top, so that the body flares upwardly from its bottom or floor d.

Said walls and floor are preferably of thin and light boards, as shown in the drawings, this material making the basket tight and dustproof; but it will be obvious that said boards might be perforated, so as to form open-work sides, or any common form of cane or reed basket-work may constitute a large portion of said sides without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. The shape described I prefer because it affords a roomy receptacle whose interior is readily accessible and which is conveniently picked up and car ried about. It also facilitates the use with the body portion of the tray hereinafter described.

At the outer sides of the ends I) b are opposite handles e, suitably disposed to enable the basket to be carried either by one person or two, and at the bottom of the basket are supporting-feet)". Said feet extend downwardly from the bottom or floor d, to the under surface of which they are secured by nails, screws, or the like, and are of sufficient length to hold the floor 61, up from the surface on which the basket stands, so that it does not come in contact therewith.

The top of the basket is provided with a cover g, whereby the basket may be closed and the contents better protected from soiling or other injury. -Said cover preferably slides in grooves g, formed on the inner sides and near the upper edges of three sides, the fourth side being recessed at its upper edge, as at h, to permit free motion of the cover. A finger-recess ion-the upper surface of the cover g affords a convenient hold in operating said cover. It will be evident that this construction enables the cover g to be entirely withdrawn and dispensed with if desired, so that the basket may be a covered basket or an open basket, as best suits the occasion and particular work.

In order to provide a place for receiving the clothes-pins and keeping them separate from the clothes in the body portion of the basket, I have provided the tray j. Said tray is formed to fit into the upper part of the body portion of the receptacle and extends across the body portion, being considerably narrower than its length and of a shallow depth in comparison with the basket. At its opposite ends said tray rests upon pieces 70 7o, fastened to the opposite inner sides of the body portion and extending longitudinally from end to end thereof, parallel to the bottom or floor. Said pieces 70 thus project from the said inner walls and form a slideway, upon which portion beforedescribed, and thus, as the tray rests on its slideways, the ends-of the tray lie fiat against the sides of the body portion upon which the pieces 70 7c are fastened. The tray thus fits nicely into its position, as will be understood, and at the same time maybe quickly and easily removed from the basket Without the nicetyof movement which would be necessary to prevent binding or wedging if both body portion and tray had vertical sides instead of flaring. It will thus be seen that the fl'arin g construction serves an important purpose in my invention.

Having thus described the invention,what I claim as new is 1. The herein-described laundry-basket, comprising an upwardly-flaring body portion having on opposite sides interior projections forming slideways extending from end to end of the body portion, a removable tray extending across the basket and being seated at its opposite ends upon said slideways, said tray being of considerably less width than the length of the body portion and adapted to slide from end to end of the basket and a detachable cover for the basket, the walls of the basket being interiorly grooved near the top for a portion of the distance around said basket and recessed or cut away for the remaining portion, said cover sliding through said recess with its edges in said groove, sub stantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described laundry-basket,

comprising an upwardly-flaring body portion a, feet extending downwardly from the bot= tom of said body portion, opposite interior projections on the sides and extending from end to end of the body portion, a removable sliding tray arranged on the slideway formed by said projections, interior grooves formed at the upper edges of the Walls for a portion of the distance around the top of the body, the remaining portion being recessed, and a removable cover sliding through said recess with its edge in said grooves, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of January, 1899.

MARY B. CONNELL. Witnesses:

L. V. HoBBs, EDW. B. HOBBS. 

